5 Great Reasons to Get a Garden Studio Instead of Moving House: More Space Without the Upheaval
Craving more space? Before you call the estate agent, consider this: a bespoke garden studio can give you the extra room you need for a fraction of the cost and stress of moving house - and you get to stay exactly where you are.
Are you thinking about a house move?
We're sure it will have crossed many minds recently, with more of us working from home and spending more time within our own four walls than we're used to. And while some of us are enjoying being at home, for many, it's causing us to rethink our living space.
Not so long ago, most of our customers wanted to create more space in their home because they could - a quiet room to escape to and read a book, or a second lounge to accommodate noisy teenagers and their friends. Something useful, but not quite a necessity.
Now, we're finding our enquiries are coming from people in real need of an additional room for all manner of reasons. Some need an office now that hybrid working is here to stay. Others want a fitness room, tired of gym membership fees and the UK's unpredictable weather being less than conducive to exercising outdoors. Some even use a studio as a quiet space for the children's homework and revision.
But whether it's extra room to move that you're craving or just a change of scenery, a Tiger Modular garden studio can help. And it's far less drastic and much less stressful than moving home.
Here are our top 5 reasons to stay right where you are and enjoy the benefits of a new bespoke garden room instead.
✔ IN SHORT
In short: if it's more space you need, a garden studio is usually far cheaper, quicker and less stressful than moving house. You avoid stamp duty, legal fees, removals and buyer chains, stay close to the schools, friends and family you love, and gain a flexible room - office, gym, bar or family space - designed around you and typically installed in less than a week once manufactured.
Less upheaval than a house move
Let's begin by considering the physical aspects of moving from one house to another. The packing up of absolutely everything you own and shifting it to a new location. Having to sort out several years' worth of 'stuff' accumulated by you and the family - do you really want to tackle all those boxes hidden neatly up in your loft?
Are you feeling any nausea yet? If you've ever moved home before, then you probably will be. Because you'll know first-hand, it's no simple task.
Not only is it physically exhausting - even with a removals company involved - but also time-consuming. It takes so much work at both ends of the journey, packing up and then unpacking again.
Depending on where you're moving to, it can cost a lot of money too. Wouldn't it be easier to invest that money into a brand-new space to enjoy where you are today?
What if you just don't want to move?
And fair enough, too. You might have spent years getting your house just as you want it, perhaps even remodelling the layout to meet your needs - at a minimum, creating an interior that provides comfort.
And, if you've been living in your current home a while, you're probably invested in your local area. Perhaps it's close to where you work, and the local amenities you have grown accustomed to, even the school or clubs your children attend if you have any. Why be forced to move if you like it where you are?
It's time to optimise the space you have already. A bespoke garden studio creates the extra room you need while allowing you to stay exactly where you are.
More space, yes please - a bigger mortgage, no thanks!
Let's be honest, if it is simply more space you're after, then a complete house move is not going to present itself as your lowest-cost option. Far from it, in fact, with large homes always coming in at a premium - the more rooms you're after, the bigger the bucks you're expected to pay for the privilege.
And while it might just be more living space you want, a bigger living space often comes with an extra bedroom thrown in, regardless of whether or not you need one. Then there are the additional solicitors' fees, moving costs and extra expenses that you have to factor in.
A garden room will cost a fraction of the price of upgrading to a bigger house. One price, no hidden fees, a bespoke design, no compromising on layout, and much much faster than the process of buying a new house.
Here's how the two compare at a glance (Indicative comparison only - costs and timescales vary by property, location and specification) :
Factor |
Moving house |
Garden room |
Typical costs |
Stamp duty, legal fees, estate agent fees, surveys and removals - often tens of thousands of pounds before you pay for the extra space itself |
Entry-level insulated rooms from around £8,500-£12,500; Tiger Modular Certus from £19,919 |
Timescale |
Typically several months from offer to completion - longer if a chain breaks. |
Usually installed in less than a week once manufactured off-site. |
Disruption |
Packing, unpacking, new schools, new routines. |
Minimal - life at home carries on as normal. |
Location |
Leave your neighbourhood, friends and local amenities. |
Stay exactly where you are. |
Design |
Compromise on whatever the market has available. |
Designed around exactly how you want to use the space. |
The housing market is telling you to stay put
Those with an eye on the property market will know that house prices have risen substantially over recent years, while mortgage rates well above the record lows many of us became used to have made trading up a far more expensive business.
Sure, if you managed to sell your house today, you would be in with a chance of making a decent profit. But let's not forget the competition you'd be up against in finding your next place, which, like yours, will have increased in value. Then there are the buyer chains to worry about. If one buyer falls through, everyone has to start again. Stressful.
Now take a quick look outside your back windows and imagine yourself in a new outdoor garden studio, designed to your exact requirements while providing the extra space current life requires. Isn't that far easier than selling and buying a house? We'd say so!
Your local network
Do your parents live nearby? Your wonderful 'olds', the 'rents, Mum and Dad - perhaps rebranded nowadays as Grandma and Grandad.
Whatever you call them, if they live close by, there is every likelihood they need you or you need them. They might depend on you for their weekly shop, or maybe they help you with childcare. If that's the case, then moving away might not be a viable option.
And what about friends in the area, or your lovely neighbours. Nobody wants to move house to find that the family from hell lives next door.
Yet this needn't keep you boxed into your four walls with little to no breathing space. A garden studio is the perfect way to create extra room and a space away from the main house.
Having loved ones close by might even be the reason for having yours installed in the first place - a family room, garden bar or dedicated dining space for hosting family and friends when they come to visit. Some families go a step further and create a garden annexe, so an elderly parent can live close by while keeping their own independence - see our guide to garden annexes for elderly parents.
Does a garden studio add value to your home?
Moving house is often seen as a way to 'trade up', but improving the home you already have can add value too. A good-quality, well-insulated garden room is widely cited as adding roughly 5-15% to a property's value, though any figure should be treated as indicative - the outcome depends heavily on build quality, location and market conditions.
What's more certain is the value you get from using it. A room you use every day - as an office, gym or family space - pays you back in comfort and convenience long before you ever think about selling. And because a garden room is a single, clearly-defined cost, it's far easier to budget for than a move. If you'd rather spread the investment, our garden room finance options guide explains how.
Planning and practicalities
One more advantage over moving: many garden studios can be built under permitted development, so there's often no planning application to wait for. There are limits on height, position and how much of the garden the building covers, and different rules can apply in conservation areas or if the room will be used for sleeping - our garden room planning permission guide explains the detail.
Because a properly insulated garden studio stays comfortable all year round, it genuinely works as part of your home rather than a seasonal extra. See can you use a garden room all year round for how insulation, glazing and heating make that possible.
Still keen to move?
In our opinion, when space is all you're after, it's not a move you need, rather a little 'outside the box' thinking.
Our bespoke garden rooms can be used as offices, gyms, bars, spas, family rooms, games rooms, cinema rooms, studios - the choice is yours.
Once we've confirmed your perfect design with you, we manufacture as much as possible off-site, then we come back and install your new garden studio, usually in less than a week. It really is that simple and hassle-free (unlike moving house). Plus, every garden room comes with a lifetime structural guarantee, a 30-year roof guarantee and a 10-year guarantee on everything else, so it really is a long-term investment for your family.
Common Questions
In almost every case, yes. Moving involves stamp duty, legal and agent's fees, surveys and removals - often before you've paid for any extra space. A garden studio is a single, clearly-defined cost, with entry-level insulated rooms typically starting from around £8,500-£12,500.
Once your design is confirmed and manufactured off-site, Tiger Modular usually installs a garden studio in less than a week - far quicker than buying and selling a house.
A good-quality, well-insulated garden room is widely cited as adding roughly 5-15% to a property's value, though this is indicative and depends on build quality, location and market conditions.
Often not - many garden studios fall under permitted development, subject to limits on size, height and position. Check the rules for your property, particularly in a conservation area or if the room will be used for sleeping.
Yes. A properly insulated garden studio with quality glazing and simple heating is comfortable in every season, so it works as a genuine extension of your home.
Conclusion
If it's more space you need, moving house isn't the only answer - and it's rarely the easiest or cheapest one. A bespoke garden studio gives you the extra room you want, designed exactly around how you'll use it, without the upheaval, fees and uncertainty of a move. You keep the home, neighbourhood and people you love, and gain a flexible, year-round space for work, fitness, family or fun.
Tiger Modular are UK leading designers, manufacturers and installers of garden studios. If you'd like to book a no-obligation design consultation, contact our friendly team.
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